About fatherhood
by Kayleigh90
Summary: Something not only about Germania's fatherhood but Prussia's childhood and his feelings and memories as well. Featuring also other German states and Romania as well. Enjoy.


**About fatherhood**

_1872_

„What about you?", Romania asked his new friend, Prussia.

They were both sitting in Vlad's castle, where he has been living. The weather was awful. It was raining cats and dogs. And it didn't seem to stop soon. Fortunately, inside the Poenari Castle it was warm and cosy. Gilbert was looking at fireplace. He seemed absent.

"What?", he asked Romania.

Vlad laughed silently.

"You seemed very absent when I was talking about my family and childhood, didn't you, my little Prussian?".

Vlad loved to call Gilbert "little Prussian" and it looked like Prussia didn't mind that.

However, Romania was talking with his new friend about his own life. His family. About his life with with Dacia, his father, and Moldova, his little sister. Next Turkey and Hungary tried to destroy Wallachia, country that Vlad used to be. And that was the reason Romania became a vampire. Even if his own people were scared of him. Even his little sister.

"You don't want to talk, do you? Ah! I forgot to say one more thing, my fellow: recently all those archaeologists have told me that I'm not one of Slavs. I'm just a cousin of France, Italies, Spain and Portugal, you know? Family full of perverts and cowards…", he laughed.

But Gilbert didn't listen to him. He was looking at fire. Vlad's story about childhood reminded him about his own. He started to think about it…

_Early Middle Ages_

He was only a little child but still he could see that he was just _different_. Different than his brothers, different than his father, Germania. As an adult man, he didn't remember Germania so clearly but when he was a little boy, Germania always seemed to be a scary, huge man for him. Always serious. Gilbert didn't remember if his father had ever smiled or joked. His father… _Vater_. He really wanted to call him _Vati_. His daddy. Like other children, who loved their parents. But all that Prussia remembered were Germania's words:

"You didn't deserve to call me _Vati_. I'm _Vater_ for you, child."

Germania didn't say it, because he didn't love his son. He was only scared that he would lose his fatherly respect. Then Prussia didn't think about it. He also didn't realize that even his older brothers, like Bavaria or Saxony had not ever called Germania _Vati_ as well. Germania just didn't let call him so affectionately.

Germania… Prussia after all these years could remember what was the human name of his father. Just like Romania, who couldn't remember Dacia's name. He was only Germania. For everyone. Well, maybe for some people he was _Herr _Germania or _Him_. Because not all German people had known about _nations_. Or about their names. German people in Middle Ages only knew that he was someone very important. And that he was not human and neither were his children. But they knew that he was not a god. Germania, his children and people, all together worshiped Wōden and other German gods. Scandinavia, Germania's brother, and his children worshiped him too. So people didn't consider Germania a god. Just how could god worship another god?

Nowadays we could say that Germania was indeed a stressed man. Single father with many, many children, mostly sons. Their mothers were dead or left him the child with a message: "This is your child. Raise him well." So Germania had to ask for help with children many, many times…

One of mothers, who left child and message, was Prussia's mother. She was one of German tribes, Germania didn't remember which one though. He remembered only that she was very brave and warlike. She was the best in archery, like a real warrior. Maybe this was the reason that Germania admired her. Because she looked like other German women: long, blond hair, bright eyes. But she had many, many scars because of battles. Even on her face. It will be their secret forever, how it happened that they were captivated by each other. Germania didn't seem to be the Prince Charming, only just a boor and growler who didn't like to talk with anyone. And she didn't seem to be interested in men as well. She wanted to be like one of them. Still, their infatuation was short but very passionate. A warrior and a female warrior. And next she left him without any word. But for Germania it didn't matter. He had many duties and children he had to care about. But nine months after short romance Germania saw a little child by his door. A little boy with a message on little piece of paper: "He seems to be devil's child but he's your son. Take care of him."

Indeed, this little boy looked like a demon for Germania and his older children. He was an albino, his hair was very bright and skin so pale, almost transparent. But he was a very loud albino. And that was the future Prussia.

Germania took him inside his house and showed older children. Even if the baby became the youngest member of the family, Germania's children didn't like him. Bavaria, the oldest one, looked at him and asked:

"Is this Loki or what?"

"Of course not! This is your little brother, my children", said Germania carrying the little boy and rocking him gently.

"He doesn't look like one", said Saxony.

"I don't like him. I won't play with him!", said Northern March.

Austria didn't even look at him, as if he didn't care. The same was with other children. They just didn't trust little albino. Even Germania felt that raising him would be not so easy. And he didn't even have a clue, how to take care of an albino. Maybe he was supposed to feed him in different way than other children? Germania just felt that he would call the charlatan many times…

He raised up little boy and said:

"And what am I supposed to do with you, little Giselbert? And what are you?"

Future Prussia just… puked at his father and started to cry. Germania was angry and knew that this would be more than just one problem with this boy…

And this way, Germania lived with his numerous offspring. The oldest one was Bavaria, who looked like 11-years-old boy. He was the brave and proud lad. This shorthaired blond boy thought he was the best and other siblings had to listen to him. But it was not always like that. Mostly it was him, who called little Giselbert "Loki". He didn't like him and even he didn't even try to hide this. Next was Saxony, 10-years-old boy, who looked like little copy of his father. He had long, blond hair but he was much calmer than father. And he was the one who didn't think that Bavaria was the best. He would always say:

"Don't think you're the most important just because you're the oldest!"

Interesting thing was that even Bavaria and Saxony didn't always agree with each other, they still got along well. But Bavaria's favourite was little Austria, who was no less troublesome child than Giselbert. He only listened to Bavaria. And it was mostly Bavaria's fault that little Austria was so spoiled. Germania's oldest son did everything for Austria. Austria looked like he was year older than future Prussia. But most of Germania's children were in the same age – because they had many mothers. For example – Schleswig and Holstein. They were twins, though. But they looked like 8-years-old children, just like Hesse and Thuringia. And Saxony had two brothers in his age – Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony.

However, Prussia had already looked about 4-years-old, when in Germania's home appeared the youngest and the last child. Even Germania didn't know what this little boy was supposed to be but everyone felt that one day he will become someone very important. He looked just like his father, only his hair was shorter. This little boy was supposed to be Holy Roman Empire and in far future – Germany who would integrate other German countries.

But little Giselbert was very jealous of him. All attention was paid to this little, stinky boy! Prussia wanted to play with father, so he climbed Germania's back. But his father was angry and seemed to be only busy with the youngest child.

Ludwig, because that was the human name of the youngest son, looked like little angel when he was sleeping. Giselbert looked at him, while Germania was cutting up a deer that he hunted.

"I don't like him."

"You don't have to, Loki", said Germania calmly. "But remember, he's your little brother."

"Do you love him more than me, _Vater_?"

"I didn't say that."

"Oh, come on, Loki, nobody likes you", said Bavaria, who was helping their father, and started to laugh.

This made little Giselbert very angry. He had kicked his older brother in an ankle and next he jumped on him and pulled his hair. Bavaria started to scream and tried to get down his brother. They struggled with each other and screamed. Prussia even bit Bavaria in his hand.

"It hurts! _Vater_, do something! Loki bit me, I'll become a devil like him!"

"My name is Giselbert, not Loki!", he pulled brother's hair.

In the end Germania had to separate them. Next he spanked them both.

"Look, what have you done!", he went to Ludwig's cradle and took crying baby. "You are the oldest", he pointed at Bavaria and in the same time he tried to calm the baby. "So you should be the wisest. Or at least wiser than him!", he pointed at Prussia.

Both boys had their heads down. They wanted to cry and they were rubbing their spanked bottoms.

"We are sorry, _Vater_", said regretfully Bavaria.

"And you, child?", Germania looked at Prussia.

"I'm not sorry! He said that nobody likes me!", he said with tears. He only sniffed and tried not to cry but it was hard. "And he stinks!", Prussia pointed at Ludwig who fell asleep again.

"Bavaria, my son, please, just get out", said Germania.

"But…"

"Get out."

Bavaria had no choice. He went outside.

Prussia was still crying. Germania had put the youngest child into cradle and next he crouched beside his crying son. He only stroked his fair hair. Prussia sniffed but he was starting to calm down. But still he couldn't look in father's eyes. Germania said calmly:

"You were as little as he too."

"And… And did I stink like him?"

"Yes, you did. Like every baby."

"Does nobody like me, like brother Bavaria said?"

Germania was quiet for a moment. Next he said:

"Only thing I can say is that isn't true."

Even then Germania couldn't say to his own child directly that he loved him.

Prussia didn't know why he only remembered these awful memories with his father and brothers. Especially this one when… He couldn't remember what he had done but all he remembered was that Germania didn't want to take him for hunting. And he took his all brothers, except Ludwig. And what was the worst, Germania didn't tell Prussia about hunting. So in the morning he saw that father was going with brothers to the forest. Giselbert didn't know what was going on. He ran out of the house and yelled:

"Wait! Wait for me! Why didn't you take me, _Vater_?"

"You'll just stay here."

Prussia became hysterical, just like a child.

"Why do you all hate me?"

Germania, Bavaria, Saxony and other brothers just stared at him very severely. He saw it clearly. He saw that he is different. Why all his brothers were blond like father and his hair were almost white, just like his skin? Why were his eyes red while brothers had blue or green? And why he wanted to eat with left hand and brothers did it with right? Even if Germania tied his left hand to the table during eating, even if he learnt how to do anything with right hand, he always felt one thing – everybody was right. He had to be devil's child. Or devil in himself. However, he didn't realize that Ludwig really liked him.

"_Bruder_, come on, come back to house…", Ludwig pulled Giselbert's pants.

"_Nein! Vater, ich hasse dich!_"

But it seemed like Germania didn't care. He didn't even listen. In fact, Prussia didn't hate his father, he only wanted to get some attention. He started to scream:

"Do you hear me, you fool? _Vater! Vati! _Please…"

Then Germania turned back and said loud and clear:

"Don't ever call me like that, child."

And he went for hunting, leaving little Prussia with his younger brother.

_1872_

But it was the past. Many years have passed. In 1872 Prussia was a powerful country, even if it seemed that he had been a weak child. Now he was like a father for Ludwig, who became Germany a year ago. Even if his younger brother was his height, Prussia was still taking care of him. After all he was young country. Prussia didn't want to be like his father. But still he couldn't tell Ludwig how much he loved him and that he's his dearest brother. He just couldn't.

At least he started to talk:

"I think… I think, my fellow that every father is like our fathers were", he said and looked in Romania's eyes.

"Oh, really? Why do you think so?"

"Did your father ever tell you that he loved you?"

"No… I can't remember that."

"And did he spank you?"

"Not once", Romania smiled. "Why do you ask?"

"You see… Let it be our secret but I'm afraid to tell anyone about my father and childhood… And I've even spanked Ludwig… But only once. I hope I'll never be a father."

"Ah, your father was Germania, right? But you know, little Prussian, maybe you're not the worst brother like you think. And I think like you – all fathers were like that. Those were different times, nothing else."

Vlad looked at the window. It was still raining.

"Do you want to talk about this? I think we will have… plenty of time."

"Well, maybe I should, after your story…"

But then was a moment of silence. So Romania said:

"I'll bring some wine for us… Just wait."

And he wanted to leave him for a moment, when Romania asked:

"By the way, what were your father's words, when you saw him for the last time?"

"Just… 'Don't die.'"


End file.
